Embodied Composition: The Creation of Enriched Interactional Experiences Through Music Composition

Music is a form of embodied interaction through which people can synchronize their motor, sensory, and emotive systems. Anthropologists and developmental psychologists suggest that elements of music provide the groundwork for verbal interaction and interpersonal relationships (Aiello, 1996; Dissanayake, 2000; Mithen, 2006). When people interact with each other through music, the bases of community are formed. Phenomenological descriptions of individual’s experience of music and the role music plays in interpersonal interaction have been documented. However, there is little literature describing the embodied experiences of music composers as the architects of embodied interactions through music. Through this study, I address this topic by answering the following research questions: (1) How is composition an embodied experience? (2) How does music generate embodied interactions between composers, performers, and audience members? To answer these research questions, I interviewed five music composers (four males and one female). I analyzed these interviews using Smith’s (1996) Interpretive Phenomenological Analysis (IPA). Using IPA, I worked to understand and describe the participants’ embodied experiences of music composition. Through my analysis, I came across the following three themes: (1) “Composition: Creating Music through the Embodiment of Inspiration, Intuition and Craft”; (2) “From Inception to Reception: Enriched, Transcendent Interactions through Music”; and (3) “Self of Composer: Development of Musical Expression through Compositional Experience”. The descriptions of the aforementioned themes highlight several key findings. First, music composition involves the interplay of inspiration, intuition, and knowledge of music. These embodied experiences of the composer become the nexus of interactional experiences for performers and audience members. Second, music composition enriches a composer’s intrapersonal and interpersonal interactions as music provides a more direct way of conveying sensory and emotional experiences (compared to conventional interactions). Third, the composer’s embodied experiences become the nexus of community for the performers and audience members who participate in the composer’s music. This study describes the role a composer has in the embodied, interactional experiences of music. Through my analysis, the composer can be viewed as the protagonist of community—joining people together through their music in different spaces and different times

Embodied Composition: The Creation of Enriched Interactional Experiences Through Music Composition

Music is a form of embodied interaction through which people can synchronize their motor, sensory, and emotive systems. Anthropologists and developmental psychologists suggest that elements of music provide the groundwork for verbal interaction and interpersonal relationships (Aiello, 1996; Dissanayake, 2000; Mithen, 2006). When people interact with each other through music, the bases of community are formed. Phenomenological descriptions of individual’s experience of music and the role music plays in interpersonal interaction have been documented. However, there is little literature describing the embodied experiences of music composers as the architects of embodied interactions through music. Through this study, I address this topic by answering the following research questions: (1) How is composition an embodied experience? (2) How does music generate embodied interactions between composers, performers, and audience members? To answer these research questions, I interviewed five music composers (four males and one female). I analyzed these interviews using Smith’s (1996) Interpretive Phenomenological Analysis (IPA). Using IPA, I worked to understand and describe the participants’ embodied experiences of music composition. Through my analysis, I came across the following three themes: (1) “Composition: Creating Music through the Embodiment of Inspiration, Intuition and Craft”; (2) “From Inception to Reception: Enriched, Transcendent Interactions through Music”; and (3) “Self of Composer: Development of Musical Expression through Compositional Experience”. The descriptions of the aforementioned themes highlight several key findings. First, music composition involves the interplay of inspiration, intuition, and knowledge of music. These embodied experiences of the composer become the nexus of interactional experiences for performers and audience members. Second, music composition enriches a composer’s intrapersonal and interpersonal interactions as music provides a more direct way of conveying sensory and emotional experiences (compared to conventional interactions). Third, the composer’s embodied experiences become the nexus of community for the performers and audience members who participate in the composer’s music. This study describes the role a composer has in the embodied, interactional experiences of music. Through my analysis, the composer can be viewed as the protagonist of community—joining people together through their music in different spaces and different times

Rational and intuitive approaches to music composition: The impact of individual differences in thinking/learning styles on compositional processes

This study explores the idea that there are two different types of composers, those that use a rational process of composition involving pre-planning and use of external systems and those that use an intuitive process that involves trial and error or other exploratory means for composing. It focuses on further understanding these patterns of thought as they are found in the compositional processes of student composers as well as investigating their learning preferences. The study examines the compositional processes of five composition students from the Sydney Conservatorium of Music selected using their results on the SOLAT (Style Of Learning And Thinking) measure (Torrance, McCarthy & Kolesinski, 1988). After interviewing the five participants, a model was developed that explained how rational and intuitive patterns of thought were used at different levels. The macroprocesses of participants were found to sit on a continuum between rational and intuitive whilst at the micro-level participants were seen to use a mixture of both processes. The interview participants were also asked to comment on their preferred activities for learning composition. It was found that the participants believed their compositional processes were something that they developed themselves and they wanted a more personal approach to learning. The findings have implications for both teachers of composition and their students

Rational and intuitive approaches to music composition: The impact of individual differences in thinking/learning styles on compositional processes

This study explores the idea that there are two different types of composers, those that use a rational process of composition involving pre-planning and use of external systems and those that use an intuitive process that involves trial and error or other exploratory means for composing. It focuses on further understanding these patterns of thought as they are found in the compositional processes of student composers as well as investigating their learning preferences. The study examines the compositional processes of five composition students from the Sydney Conservatorium of Music selected using their results on the SOLAT (Style Of Learning And Thinking) measure (Torrance, McCarthy & Kolesinski, 1988). After interviewing the five participants, a model was developed that explained how rational and intuitive patterns of thought were used at different levels. The macroprocesses of participants were found to sit on a continuum between rational and intuitive whilst at the micro-level participants were seen to use a mixture of both processes. The interview participants were also asked to comment on their preferred activities for learning composition. It was found that the participants believed their compositional processes were something that they developed themselves and they wanted a more personal approach to learning. The findings have implications for both teachers of composition and their students

Virtual orchestration: a film composer's creative practice

The advent of digital technologies has led to a major change in the process of film music composition; consequent developments in music technology have forced film composers to adapt to this change. Technological innovations such as digital audio workstations (DAWs) and virtual musical instruments have made possible the creation of virtual orchestras that are technologically capable of simulating the sound and behaviour of a traditional acoustic orchestra. This has had an effect on film music production and on the creative process of the professional film composer in a way that today, creating orchestral simulations or 'mock-ups' that imitate live orchestras (or smaller ensembles) has become a requirement in the film industry and thus an essential part of the film-scoring process. In the context of contemporary film music production, this thesis investigates how orchestral simulations are composed and created using computer music technology and virtual sample-based instruments. In asking 'how', the focus is on the film composer's activities and thought processes during this creative cycle, along with the nature of the interactive relationship between composer and music materials. This study aims to show the complexity of the film composer's creative practice and to advance understanding of how the use of computer music technology and orchestral sample libraries is influencing the compositional process and compositional outcome. To address these questions, a qualitative multiple case study methodology approach was chosen that included examination of the practice of seven professional film composers working in the field of feature film as the primary valid source of data. The exploration involved semi-structured interviews with composers, observations and analysis of their studio practice and inspection of their compositional tools. Taken as a whole, the evidence provided by this study is that the process of creating orchestral simulations is a process of film music composition during which professional film composers are creating orchestral sounds through the use of computers, digital sequencing, samplers and sample-based virtual acoustic instruments for the realisation of musical works. It is a process of using and manipulating recorded samples of real acoustic instruments to generate an expressive and convincing musical performance through sample-based orchestral simulation. A characteristic of this compositional practice is that it is a continuous process that proceeds in stages over time where all procedures can be applied repeatedly between stages. The process of creating orchestral simulations for the purpose of the film score is a multifaceted compositional activity involving a complex set of relationships among different compositional states of mind and compositional activities in which film composers experience music and interact with musical materials and media in various ways. This creative activity is a process involving a single person and a mixture of various compositional tools, the composer's skills and abilities brought into existence through a creative process that requires a thorough blend of art and craft to be demonstrated at all times

By myself but not alone:Agency, creativity, and extended musical historicity

In this paper we offer a preliminary framework that highlights the relational nature of solo music-making, and its associated capacity to influence the constellation of habits and experiences one develops through acts of musicking. To do so, we introduce the notion of extended musical historicity and suggest that when novice and expert performers engage in individual musical practices, they often rely on an extended sense of agency which permeates their musical experience and shapes their creative outcomes. To support this view, we report on an exploratory, qualitative study conducted with novice and expert music performers. This was designed to elicit a range of responses, beliefs, experiences and meanings concerning the main categories of agency and creativity. Our data provide rich descriptions of solitary musical practices by both novice and expert performers, and reveal ways in which these experiences involve social contingencies that appear to generate or transform creative musical activity. We argue that recognition of the interactive components of individual musicking may shed new light on the cognition of solo and joint music performance, and should inspire the development of novel conceptual and empirical tools for future research and theory

Impact of globalization on the national choral sound in post-Soviet Russia and its influence on choral music pedagogy

Globalization, cultural flow, and crossfertilization are terms that now appear in many conversations, articles, and research studies. The contemporary world becomes more and more complex while the exchange of information, business development, media, and cultural events are promoted and welcomed. The models of response to globalization may vary between countries and their cultures. This study depicts the response of Moscow’s choral world to globalization. The choral art form is one of many layers of national identity that have been developing over centuries. Performance practices, choral vocal methodologies, and choral music education have undergone influences and changes and have continued their evolution into the 21st century. The purpose of this study was to explore, through in-depth interviews, Russian choral conductors’ perceptions and reflections on contemporary Russian choral sound and whether it has been affected by globalization in recent decades. Using grounded theory, I examined the impact of globalization on Russian choral culture, specifically focusing on the choral sound. Goodenough’s (1981) cultural theory served as the framework for this research, providing a strong understanding of what culture is and the methods of its transmission as well as the explanation of the role of individuals in a social process of constructing its evolution. The current relationship between traditional Russian choral pedagogy and performance practice and the innovations introduced by globalization demonstrates that the deeply-embedded traditions continue to be an important aspect of Russian choral culture. Nevertheless, lifelong informal learning in a global choral community was an impetus for the transformation of choral culture, choral performance, and choral music education

Documenting acousmatic music interpretation : profiles of discourse across multiple dimensions

Purpose : Extending documentation and analysis frameworks for acousmatic music to performance/interpretation, from an information science point of view, will benefit the transmission and preservation of a repertoire with an idiosyncratic relation to performance and technology. This paper presents the outcome of a qualitative research aiming at providing a conceptual model theorizing the intricate relationships between the multiple dimensions of acousmatic music interpretation. • Design/methodology/approach : The methodology relies on grounded theory. 12 Interviews were conducted over a period of 3 years in France, Québec and Belgium, grounded in theoretical sampling. • Findings : The analysis outcome describes eight dimensions in acousmatic performance, namely: musical; technical; anthropological; psychological; social; cultural; linguistic; and ontological. Discourse profiles are provided in relation to each participant. Theory development led to the distinction between documentation of interpretation as an expertise and as a profession. • Research limitations/implications : Data collection is limited to French-speaking experts, for historical and methodological reasons. • Practical implications : The model stemming from the analysis provides a framework for documentation which will benefit practitioners and organizations dedicated to the dissemination of acousmatic music. The model also provides this community with a tool for characterizing expert discourses about acousmatic performance and identifying content areas to further investigate. From a research point of view, the theorization leads to the specification of new directions and the identification of relevant epistemological frameworks. • Originality/value : This research brings a new vision of acousmatic interpretation, extending the literature on this repertoire’s performance with a more holistic perspective